


Paper

by flippantninny



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 21:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2166000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippantninny/pseuds/flippantninny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the one word prompt 'Paper'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paper

Daryl was trying to concentrate on not falling asleep. He hadn’t slept well in a few days, he’d picked up a few too many guard duties than he probably should have, but with Michonne injured everyone was picking up the slack. And when they had started to run low on food it hadn’t even been a case of picking up the slack; he was the best hunter in camp after all so he was getting them some food. His hunting trips had used to be a solo affair, but since he had started teaching Beth to track she had decided it was in the best interest of her education to join him.

So Daryl was sitting there, trying to concentrate on staying awake, and all he could think about was sleeping Beth.

It was her fault, really. He had told her to bring a bigger jacket, but she had insisted she wouldn’t need it, that is wasn’t that cold.

And when they had managed to find a small hunting cabin with a bed, she had almost proved him right. Problem was all the bed had was a paper thin sheet.

So Daryl was sitting by the door, trying to listen for walkers and stay awake, and all he could hear was Beth shivering from the bed.

Daryl wasn’t exactly warm, but he wasn’t uncomfortable, he had brought a thick jacket with him to counter the cold night. He supposed he could give her the jacket. It might not be enough to make her comfortably warm, but it would certainly cease the shaking.

But then he’d be cold.

But that would keep him awake. And wasn’t it more worth it for one person to be awake and uncomfortable and the person trying to sleep to actually get a good night’s sleep? Otherwise they’d both be tired while they tried to track deer tomorrow.

No, he had told her at the camp, bring a thick jacket. It wasn’t his fault she was stubborn. It must have been a trait of her mother, because Hershel had been a reasonable guy but as soon as Maggie or Beth decided on something they were impossible to persuade otherwise. So honestly he doubted she would even accept his jacket. She would probably rather get hypothermia than accept he was right.

So wasn’t it worth offering? If she wasn’t going to accept it anyway then it wouldn’t hurt to offer it to her. But what if she did accept his jacket, then Daryl would be cold. But he wouldn’t have to listen to her teeth chattering anymore.

And now the idea of her getting hypothermia had entered his mind, it was impossible to shake. Beth was a survivor, she had survived the prison, survived living with Daryl after the prison, survived being kidnapped, and managed to find her way back to them. She couldn’t die from something silly like the cold. Daryl wouldn’t let her. Or he would try not to let her, because she wasn’t going to accept his jacket anyway, because she was stubborn.

Daryl got up from the uncomfortable chair he had been sitting in and walked across the cabin to the bed. It was probably just the moonlight, but her skin did almost look a faint shade of blue.

He sighed, shrugging off his jacket. He gently placed a hand on her bicep, “Beth,” he said, quietly but loud enough to wake her from whatever poor quality of slumber she was in. He was always surprised by how small she was, his hand could fit all the way round her bicep, but what surprised him more tonight was how cold she was.

She turned over in the bed, sleepily looking up at him, blinking at him.

"Here," he said, threading her arms into the sleeves. She looked more content already. He zipped it up then told her to go back to sleep, tucking the paper thin sheet around her.

And then he returned to his watch, the sound of shivering no longer plaguing his ears.

He was cold, but he could finally relax.


End file.
